Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

First and foremost, I second Senator Gavan's amendment to the Order of Business.

I echo what Senator Black said. She is 100% correct about the Debenhams workers. It always amazes me that when these companies go bust, they walk away and leave behind a trail of utterly decimated workers, some of whom end up on the breadline. I fully support what the Senator said.

It is time we had a debate on bullying in the workplace. I was horrified last week to hear on "Today with Claire Byrne" the way staff are treated by some of us in these Houses. We have a unique relationship with the people who work with us. We depend on our personal assistants and secretarial assistants. Mine go way beyond the call of duty and I know that the rest of us around here feel the same way. That said, I listened on that programme to stories of people crying in their offices and on the way to work. Those people were totally decimated by the treatment they received here.

I have worked with a bully and looked into the eyes of a bully. Bullies attack the strongest and best liked in an organisation. They target people and set about their mental destruction. That is the way they work and there should be no place anywhere in this country for bullies, certainly not in the workplace. We need legislation to criminalise bullying in the workplace. People have committed suicide as a result of being bullied. I worked with a man who committed suicide and I know he was bullied. It is horrendous. I am asking that we bring the Minister for Justice in here and have an open and frank discussion on bullying in the workplace and on how we, the lawmakers, might tackle it in this House as an example to all other workplaces.